NATASHA CAMPOS

occupation: development - international center of photography / photographer

age you feel: i feel like i'm in my late 20s and also my age which is a young 31

CAREER

GGNYC: so tell us about the international center of photography (icp)

NC: at the icp i do development and i work with program committees, the board of trustees and major donors. my main focus is to create vip experiences and events for these individuals to attend as they help fund the organization. some of the events include private gallery tours, museum visits and q&a's with artists

GGNYC: sounds awesome! how did you get this role

NC: welli'm almost making a year in this role and it's been a dream opportunity! prior to the icp i had been working in nonprofit and had picked up photography on my own... somehow i found a job that combines all of my professional experience and all of my personal aspirations in one! not to mention that half the staff are photographers. i get to take courses, use the studio, rent equipment... honestly, it's amazing to be around all of it

GGNYC: how did you realize that photography was your passion

NC: i've always had a camera in my hand, but i never saw it as a career opportunity... that's not an idea that i was raised with-- to be an artist. i always thought i had to have a sort of by the books occupation. so it wasn't until several years ago, when i started to photograph these events my friends would invite me to... see, i have a lot of friends in creative fields... and these were the friends that began to encourage me and to tell me that i had a good eye for this. and once that happened, i started to get hired to shoot without even seeking the jobs... so i just continued to pursue it!

GGNYC: where do you want to take this in the next few years

NC: i definitely think that i'm in a really good space to further develop my skills. but eventually i'd like to be able to take on projects that aren't just during the weekends. i'd love to be a full time photographer. but the bigger question for myself is what kind of photographer do i want to be? right now i do all types of shoots, ranging from events, to brands to wedding shoots. so i haven't figured out what the focus will be moving forward

GGNYC: you mentioned brands, what's one of the brands you've enjoyed working with

NC: i've worked a lot with nike, specifically sports photography... that brand is just so major and has such a following... the energy around it, around their events-- people are just excited to be there and i love being around that

GGNYC: how do you differentiate yourself from other people that are pursuing what you're doing

NC: by recognizing that i shouldn't try to do what others are doing. so every time i see someone that gets a dope opportunity that i would have wanted, i remind myself that they are in a different space where they are able to handle that opportunity and what is meant to be for me will come. so for me it's really about representing myself in the highest manner, because that's what's gotten me this far

STYLE

GGNYC: what's one of your favorite items in your closet and where did you purchase it

NC: honestly, i love the classic pieces that have survived through several years...

GGNYC: there's a fire in your apartment and you can only save three items, what are they

NC: my vintage chanel bag that my mother gave me, my gold name plate i've had since i was a teen and a pair of glasses so that i can see {laughs}

GGNYC: describe your style in one word

NC: simple

GGNYC: if you could raid anyone's closet, who would it be

NC: it would be tracee ellis ross! i really like that her style kind of emulates her mothers... and one of the best compliments i get when i dress up is that i look like mom. i love that! i loved my moms style growing up. so for that reason i would like to go in her closet... plus she can wear sneakers and look effortlessly great

GGNYC: based on fashion, which era of the last 100 years would you like to have been a part of

NC: the 70s! so i could get my diana ross on... there was a lot of glamour back then

GGNYC: name three beauty products you can't live without

NC: sunscreen, a mix of facial oils that i make myself and a really good lip balm

JUST FOR FUN

GGNYC: which are the top five apps on your phone

NC: instagram, camera plus, vsco, snapseed, and whatsapp-- because my family has like a 30 person chat on it, so i have to constantly check in to see what's going on

GGNYC: favorite cartoon + cereal combo on a saturday morning

NC: {laughs} i was never awake! i slept through saturday morning... my dad would call me sleeping beauty because i could sleep 12 hrs! but as a baby probably care bears and the smurfs

GGNYC: you win a trip around the world, who do you take and what's your first stop

NC: i would take my cousin darlene, she's always down to join me on any adventure and i would first go to japan

GGNYC: hollywood called they're making a film about you, who do you cast and what's the genre

NC: it would be zoe saldana, because she has some dominican in her, and it would be a romantic comedy action!

GGNYC: name your top four songs right now -- old or new

NC: the entire disclosure album-- especially the miguel and the weeknd track on it, elli goulding's on my mind and warm water by banks... oh! and anything from the first three marc anthony albums

LETS GET PERSONAL

GGNYC: what's your favorite song to be seduced to

NC: {laughs} oh man... it would be something like miguel's coffee, i think it's so sexy because it's about that scenario where you spend all night together, you wake up and you still can't get enough of each other... it's very playful

GGNYC: what makes you blush

NC: when a guy i'm seeing tells me that i'm funny or smart, those are my favorite type of compliments ... it doesn't mean much for someone to say you're cute

GGNYC: if you could have a private dinner with four people who would they be

NC: michelle obama, kerry washington, oprah and marienne williamson... she's very ethos about that the solution to most things is love

GGNYC: do you have anyone who inspired(s) you in your photography

NC: i think the original inspiration came from my father, he always had some amazing black and white photos of my sister and i growing up and i think that's where i garnered my interest. but currently there are so many people around me that inspire me, for example i just saw an exhibition of steve mccurry. the exhibit is of these beautiful vibrant saturated photos of people living in india... he shows these people in the country going through their struggles in the realest form

GGNYC: tell us one of your favorite books

NC: it's a book i've gifted dope women called women who run with the wolves by clarissa pinkola estes. this book is amazing and it's definitely something i want the girlgangnyc reader to know about! it discusses myths about the internal power of women... and it's actually inspired me to start working on a photography project surrounding that concept

GGNYC: when was the last time you had a good cry and what was it about

NC: it was actually a moment when i got positive feedback from several friends about something that i was doing in my life... even right now it's a bit overwhelming to think about, but i think if people didn't believe in me i would not be where i am right now

GGNYC: what scares the shit out of you

NC: not being as amazing as my parents to my children the way that they were to me. my parents had me young, but i feel that because i've gotten to experience so much so far in life i owe my children even more in the future

GGNYC: what makes you feel vulnerable

NC: anytime i'm sharing my work, anytime i'm putting something out there... i know how i feel about my work but i dont know how people will respond to it

GGNYC: name something about yourself you're working on

NC: gaining confidence in social environments because i'm usually very shy when i don't know someone and that can come off as me being a b*tch